Getting Better!

Yesterday I went to the gym and ran a mile for warm up and then did CX. I burned 580 calories.

Then last night I did the P90X Shoulders, Back and Abs workout and burned another 361 calories. Not bad!

Yesterday I also implemented my "Clean Eating diet" and had my green smoothie for breakfast, almonds and roasted chickpeas for a snack, hard boiled egg, english muffin with natural peanut butter and some more chickpeas for lunch, and then for dinner, I made chicken sausage with red peppers (they were brat size), and brown rice spaghetti with spinach and tomatoes. Later as another snack, I finished off the chickpeas and had some more almonds. I ate way more than I normally do- I was still hungry after my first helping of pasta and sausage so I had more!

I was shocked when I got on the scale and I lost 2 lbs. I guess there is something to this "diet". I had been stuck around 174 lbs for a while and not that I really care about my weight, but it was nice to see the scale move. I dont really put a lot of stock into the number on the scale right now because my goal is to gain muscle mass. I always said that I don't care if I weigh 200 lbs if I fit into a size 8! And for those who think that "oh it is because she worked out so much", it isn't. I weighed 174 last week and did the same amount of exercise.

This morning I completed the P90X Plyometrics. Ugh I hate that workout but I love it too! I get such a good sweat on! And this time I was able to get a calorie count because I have my monitor now. In the hour, I burned an even 600 calories. Not shabby!

So I feel very good right now. I lost 2 lbs, got a good sweat this morning, and for whatever reason, I felt much calmer and relaxed this morning. Not really sure why but I will take it and hope it continues!

Tonight I head to the gym. I am going to try to go and do my 30 minute circuit that Eric and I did on Friday if I get to the gym with enough time. Then I head into CX again followed by Body Flow. Gonna be a great night.

For those of you wondering how Aaron is doing with P90X- Last week he did Monday with me, Tuesday Plyometrics on his own, Wed arms and abs with me, Thurs yoga he SKIPPED, Friday he did legs and abs on his own, and Saturday Kenpo he skipped. He did go back yesterday and did the Kenpo that he missed but then he didn't do the shoulders and back. I called him when it was time for abs, and he came down and did them part way thru. Ha. Tonight he promises to do Plyometrics. We will see...I'm not going to be the Nazi trainer for him. He needs to decide to do it on his own.

I will share the recipes for the chickpeas and the pasta below. They were so good, I have to pass them on!

Recipes of the day:

Sweet and salty roasted chickpeas: from http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2011/07/sweet-and-salty-roasted-chickpeas-cheap.html

• 1 can (14 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or your spice(s) of choice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Place chickpeas on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat.
2. Bake at 450 F for 30 minutes. (You didn't miss anything here. You don't oil or season them until after they are done. In fact, for an extra healthy treat, try them when they get out of the oven before even adding the oil. They are enjoyable all on their own.)
3. Transfer chickpeas to a bowl and mix thoroughly with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Enjoy hot, or bring to room temperature and store in an air-tight container. Like popped corn, the chickpeas are never as good the next day. However, they are still quite enjoyable 3-4 days after making them.
   

*Personal note- My chickpeas did not stay crispy crunchy for too long. Not sure why. Next time I will leave them in the oven a little longer to see if that helps.

Quinoa Pasta with spinach and tomatoes: from http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/quick-recipes/2011/01/quinoa_pasta_with_spinach_and_tomatoes

2 main course servings

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package gluten-free quinoa spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 10- to 12-ounce containers grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 5- to 6-ounce packages baby spinach
• 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• Additional finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return cooked pasta to same pot.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes; sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper and sauté until beginning to soften and brown in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic; stir 30 seconds.
• Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid to skillet and stir, scraping up browned bits. Add tomato mixture with juices, spinach, 4 tablespoons cheese, 2 teaspoons marjoram, and crushed red pepper to pasta in pot; toss over low heat just until spinach begins to wilt, adding more pasta cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl; sprinkle with 2 tablespoons cheese and remaining 1 teaspoon marjoram. Serve, passing additional cheese.

*Personal notes- I couldnt find quinoa spaghetti so I substituted with brown rice spaghetti like I said above and used only about 4-6oz of pasta. Also, I used one package of frozen spinach and one package of cherry tomatoes. Because I only had one pack of tomatoes, next time I will definitely cut back on the oil. 2T was WAY too much and the tomatoes didnt brown like they were talking about in the directions. Also, I didnt use fresh marjoram. I used dry. And it was fine. I also didnt use as much Parmesan cheese as they said. I didnt think it was necessary. And the red pepper flakes added a nice punch to the pasta.

All in all, both recipes were great and I plan on doing them again. And I have pasta left over for dinner tonight!!